K't'inga class
The K't'inga-class battle cruiser was a primary class of warship in service with the Klingon Imperial Fleet from the late 23rd century through the late 24th century. History Introduced in the early 2270s, the K't'inga-class cruiser was considered one of the most powerful warships in the Klingon Defense Forces, even serving as a flagship of the Imperial Fleet for a time during the 2290s. ( ; ) K't'inga-class cruisers were in service as early as 2272, when the Epsilon IX station recorded the destruction of three K't'inga-class vessels by the V'Ger entity. ( ) Starfleet's interest in the K't'inga-class cruiser was such that in 2285, the class of ship appeared in the Kobayashi Maru training scenario at Starfleet Academy. ( ) For nearly a century, the K't'inga-class cruiser proved to be a rugged, sturdy design that saw continuous use. In that aspect they were much like their Federation counterparts the ''Excelsior'' and starships, whose usefulness outlived contemporaries such as the cruiser. With marked improvements, these warships saw continuous use as front-line and border patrol ships throughout the Second Klingon-Federation War and the Dominion War of the early-2370s. ( ) They were not always the ship of choice for all missions, however, as more agile craft like the Klingon Bird-of-Prey were better suited for some tasks. ( ) s and starboard warp nacelle.]] section, which connects to the aft section via a neck support.]] Technical data The K't'inga-class cruiser was one of the most advanced and versatile warships in the Klingon Imperial Fleet, more than capable of facing an Excelsior-class cruiser in a one-on-one confrontation. ( ) Physical arrangement The outboard plan of the K't'inga design incorporated the same basic shape and classic design lineage dating back over one hundred years to the D5 class battle cruiser. ( , et al.) The K't'inga-cruiser was a direct offshoot in design-lineage from the venerable D7 class battle cruiser introduced during the 2260s. ( , et al.) The bulk of the ship's overall mass was incorporated in the aft section of the ship. The bridge module was located on a bulbous forward section, which was separated from the aft section by a relatively thin connective section that attached to and flared into the aft section. Located on the caudal section of the ship were the ship's impulse engines. Jutting from below the port and starboard side of the ship's aft section were the ship's warp nacelles. ( , et al.) Aside from possessing a slightly sleeker shape and contour than its D7-class predecessor, the most notable design variations between the two classes included a less bulbous forward section, a larger bridge dome, differently-designed warp nacelles, and more extensive external hull plating. Tactical systems The primary weapon systems aboard the K't'inga-class cruiser were disruptors, photon torpedo launchers, and a concussive charge launcher. ( ) Some were even outfitted with phasers. ( ) In its original configuration, the torpedo launchers were located such that one was forward section, and one aft. The forward torpedo bay was located below the bridge, in the foremost part of the ship, while the aft torpedo bay was located between the impulse engines. During the arming sequence, the interior perimeter of the torpedo tube area glowed a bright red until the torpedo or torpedoes were fired. ( ; ; ) s]] s]] This class of ship was also equipped with dual, forward mounted disruptors, including emitters located at the mid-point on each of the forward-facing portions of the aft section, above the nacelles. ( ) Considered "state of the art" during the late 2290s, they were no match for a starship. They were, however, more than a match for any weakly-defended colony or outpost. ( ) By the late 24th century, many of the K't'inga-class battle cruisers had been retrofitted to keep up with the advances of technology. By the 2370s, their forward torpedo launchers had been replaced with more powerful disruptors, allowing these vessels to remain the formidable adversaries they were nearly a century earlier. ( ) :The apocryphal ''Star Trek: Starship Spotter identifies eight disruptor emitters; only two have been seen, however. But if the weapon placement on the D7 is any indication of the weapon placement on the K't'inga-class cruiser, then it is possible that there is also a pair of dual, forward disruptor emitters mounted on the nacelles. '' :Examination of the ''K't'inga model itself appears to indicate that there are also disruptor emitters located on either side of the bulbous "head" on the forward section of the ship. These have not been confirmed in usage, though.'' Cloaking device These vessels also had incorporated, like many Klingon starships of the time, a cloaking device, which hid them from detection in most evasive situations. ( ; ) K't'inga-class cruisers underwent several cloak upgrades during their years of service. Those cruisers equipped with cloaks installed prior to 2290 were known for the particular weakness of not being 100% efficient at blocking gamma radiation. ( ) Additional systems Some K't'inga-class cruisers were equipped with cryonic technology, which allowed crews of the late 23rd century to be placed in cryogenic sleep for long voyages. ( ) Interior design The primary color scheme aboard K't'inga-class cruisers was distinctively earth-tone colors, such as beige and gray. In contrast to the corridors found aboard contemporary vessels, such as the Bird-o-Prey, these vessels were considerably spacious in size. ( ) Main bridge of the with tactical display.]] The configuration of the darkened main bridge design of the K't'inga-class cruiser set the tone for many of the later Klingon bridge layouts, including the later Bird-of-Prey and cruisers. The main bridge was located at the top portion of the forward section of the vessel. Located in the front of the bridge, against the forward bulkhead, was the ship's main viewscreen, used by the ship's captain. of the .]] Featured in the center of the bridge, on a raised platform, directly behind the viewscreen was the command chair, which had the ability to swivel 360 degrees. This positioning provided the commanding officer an unobstructed view of the screen, as well as allowed the commander to visually monitor all bridge operations. and helm stations.]] Directly behind the command chair were two manned consoles. The port side position had control over the viewscreen display and could take the ship into evasive maneuvers (as with helm control on a ship. stations.]] Lastly, at the rear of the bridge were two pivoting weapons targeting stations, which contained the ship's targeting systems. ( ) :Andrew Probert's conceptualization of what lurked beneath the battle cruiser's oddly-shaped bridge helped set the Klingon style for all the ''Star Trek productions to follow, including the and the .'' :According to the text commentary by Mike Okuda on the [[Star Trek: The Motion Picture (The Director's Edition)|director's edition of ''Star Trek: The Motion Picture]], the Klingon interiors were intended to be "a contrast to the clean, sleek interiors seen later" in the movie.'' :The bridge featured in would later be redressed and used as the ''Enterprise torpedo room in and .'' An alternate bridge style was used on some ships during the mid-2360s. It featured the captain's chair at the back of a dimly lit bridge with banners of the Federation and Klingon Empire on the rear wall. ( ) :It is most likely that this simplistic design was intended to be the main bridge as it was the cheapest way for the production staff to create a Klingon bridge on the relatively tight budget established for TNG Season 1. ]] :The bridge of Kang's battle cruiser, briefly shown in "Flashback," was presumably a reuse of Dukat's Bird-of-Prey bridge from , which was filmed around the same time. Transporter room The transporter room aboard a K't'inga-class cruiser contained five transporter pads, arranged linearly. At an angle, and to the right of the pads, was the transporter control console, with an operator's chair; to the left was the doorway. ( ) Stateroom The stateroom aboard the was the Klingon Chancellor Gorkon's private dining and conference room. This room featured a large transparent pedestal-table, with an overhead chandelier, set on a raised platform with surrounding chairs. ( ) Ships commissioned ;Named: * * * * ;Unnamed: * [[Unnamed K't'inga class starships|Unnamed K't'inga-class starships]] ** K'Nera's battle cruiser ** Kang's battle cruiser ;Uncertain: * * Appendices Appearances * ''Star Trek'' films: ** ** (simulated) ** * ** ** ** (model) ** * ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** * ** ** Background In the Star Trek: Phase II script, written by Harold Livingston, entitled "In Thy Image", the three Klingon warships were identified as Koro-class. They were later changed to K't'inga-class in Gene Roddenberry's novelization of Star Trek: The Motion Picture. Although this designation was never referenced in any on-screen displays or dialog, it was adopted by the Star Trek Encyclopedia, where it was referred to as a "conjectural designation." Nevertheless, the designation has been recognized by the production staff as this design's name. Model Its design was based on the D7 class created by Matt Jefferies for Star Trek: The Original Series, which was, in turn based on the in both shape and color. The original studio model, built for The Motion Picture, was built at Magicam and at Future General, and would measure a total of six feet in length. The most significant change in the design of the K't'inga model was its more detailed surface, so that it would look more believable on the movie screen. The K't'inga-class cruiser sequence shots for Star Trek: The Motion Picture were shot under the supervision of John Dykstra. The design patent issued by the US Patent and Trademark Office for the K't'inga in 1982 (there called a "toy spaceship") noted Andrew Probert as the sole "inventor" of the design. In the 'Special Features' segment on disc seven of the VOY Season 3 DVD entitled Flashback to "Flashback", there is a 0:02:45 segment with Dan Curry discussing the filming of the encounter between the and Kang's battle cruiser in the Azure Nebula. Interior In the words of The Motion Picture's special photographic effects director, Douglas Trumbull, a Klingon battle cruiser should look like "an enemy submarine in World War II that's been out at sea for too long." The movies Star Trek: The Motion Picture and Star Trek: The Undiscovered Country both heavily featured the interior of the K't'inga-class cruiser – the only glimpses we've had into one of the oldest, yet most unexplored designs featured on Star Trek. Specifications The size of the K't'inga has been the subject of intense speculation. The first indication of size was in the Star Trek: The Motion Picture Blueprints, published in connection with the movie. That work was based on the designs used in the film, but was not actually produced by the production staff itself. (It also contained some oddities, like naming the class the "Drell-4".) The ship's length in that work was 214.3 meters. Since then, the ship's size has ranged from 214 meters (in the Star Trek Fact Files) to 350 meters (in the Decipher works). The Star Trek Encyclopedia makes things even worse: not only does it not nail down the size, in comparison drawings it vacillates between showing the K't'inga as smaller than a D7 in one place, and bigger in another. The only specific length provided by the Trek production staff was in the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Technical Manual, and that was listed at 349.54 meters. The problem is that the size of the D7 class ship is fairly well known from a diagram provided on-screen in (and reproduced in The Making of Star Trek). If the K't'inga is thought of as an upgrade to the D7, then the size of 214 or so meters noted in numerous apocryphal works is reasonable. If it is thought of as an entirely new class, it can be any size at all, and the 350 or so meters is not unreasonable. Along with the size, the crew complement is wildly in flux in various works. The Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Technical Manual has the crew at over 800; the Star Trek: The Motion Picture Blueprints lists 385. Other works range between the two. Unfortunately, the actual dimensions for this ship have not yet been clarified in canon, and so will remain unknown for the time being. Technical Manual The following information of specifications and defenses comes exclusively from the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Technical Manual: * Length: 349.54m * Beam: 251.76m * Height: 98.41 * Production Base: Qo'noS Orbital Factory Base * Mass: 760,000 metric tons * Accommodation: 800 plus flight crew and troops * Power Plant: One M/A warp system; two impulse system * Armament: Six ship-mounted disruptors; two torpedo launchers * Performance: Warp 9.6 Finally, while the Technical Manual itself is not canon, it is a Memory Alpha permitted resource. Inconsistencies The ''K't'inga''-class model that appeared in was incorrectly identified as a D7 class cruiser in the dialog. According to Mike Sussman, it was not known that the K't'inga-class model was going to be used instead of the D7, so the script was never changed to reflect the model used. Some fans have speculated that this vessel may, in fact, be a prototype or predecessor to the K't'inga in the D7 lineage. For more information on that vessel see Kohlar's battle cruiser. The same low-resolution K't'inga-class model was later used as an alternative to the D4-class model that was designed to appear in , nearly 120 years before the original appearance of the vessel. For more information on that vessel and model, see Vorok's battle cruiser. Apocrypha *The K't'inga-class was also seen several times in the ''Star Trek'' newspaper comic strip. *According to the instruction manual for Star Trek: Klingon Academy, some K't'inga's are refitted D7s. It also details how the new design was cast into doubt within the Empire, following the loss of three ships during the V'Ger incident, until details of the Federation's encounter with the entity came to light, revealing its immense power. Resources Additional reading * Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Technical Manual * Star Trek: Starship Spotter. Adam "Mojo" Lebowitz & Robert Bonchune. New York: Pocket Books, 2001. ISBN 0-7434-3725-X * Star Trek: The Motion Picture (The Director's Edition). ISBN 0-7921-6685-X * Star Trek: The Original Series Sketchbook. Herbert F. Solow & Yvonne Fern Solow. New York: Pocket Books, 1997. ISBN 0-671-00219-8 Related links * Klingon starship classes * Klingon starships External links * [http://starshipmodeler.com/trek/movietech.htm Klingon K'tinga-class Cruiser] at StarshipModeler.com - includes over eighty close-up images of the actual shooting models from Star Trek: The Motion Picture and Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country * - a comprehensive look at the lineage of the legendary Klingon battle cruiser Category:Klingon starship classes de:K't'inga-Klasse es:Clase K'T'inga